


Changing Fate

by it_is_bitter (orphan_account)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 17:15:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1991154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/it_is_bitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Same as that last episode, but with a twist.<br/>“Only the Sidhe possess such magic. In the midst of the Lake Of Avalon there  is an ancient isle. That is the source of their power. You must take him there.” Merlin can’t stop thinking about his last hope for Arthur, uttered in Gauis’ voice. His last hope to save his king and his best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

“Only the Sidhe possess such magic. In the midst of the Lake Of Avalon there is an ancient isle. That is the source of their power. You must take him there.” Merlin can’t stop thinking about his last hope for Arthur, uttered in Gauis’ voice. His last hope to save his king and his best friend.

He glances down at Arthur and is sickened by how pale and cold he looks.

God, he’s fading away, almost gone… No. Absolutely not, Arthur isn’t going anywhere.

“Merlin, stop. Put me down.” Arthur is slung over Merlin’s shoulders being dragged along.

“No.”

“Merlin, you’re not strong enough for this, I’m not going to make it. I’ve accepted that, and i would like to die talking to my favorite servant. Now, put me down.”

“You think I’m going to start listening to you now, just because you’re dishing out compliments? Think again. You’re not going to die Arthur, and would you like to know why?”

“Enlighten me.” His voice is quiet and strained, which Merlin aptly ignores.

“Because I have always had enough strength for you. You don’t really understand, because I have always kept it a secret from you. But, no matter how impossible the circumstances were, Arthur, I never failed you, because i knew that you needed me. Do you really think that I’m going to let a tiny piece of steel ruin all my hard work of keeping you alive? Honestly, have you forgotten how stubborn I am?” Merlin was trying very hard to keep the tears out of his voice, because truth be told, Merlin was very scared of losing his friend. Merlin was scared of how weak Arthur was already, and how his labored breaths were becoming farther apart.

“Merlin, I want you to look at me.”

“Bit busy saving your life, please save all of your unreasonable requests for a later time.” He was almost to the water’s edge. _Hold on Arthur, just a bit further_.

Carefully, and with the utmost gentleness, Merlin laid Arthur on the shore, while he tried to think of any possible way to get Arthur to the island.

As Merlin was standing up to get a better look he felt Arthur’s hand clamp down on his arm and force him back down. _See, he still has strength, he’s going to be fine_. Merlin was a great liar, as Arthur could testify.

“Merlin, there’s something I want to say. Look at me.” Merlin didn’t want to look at Arthur, didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He wasn’t ready to accept that Arthur was going to die. With the utmost reluctance Merlin turned his head to look into his King’s blue eyes, Arthur deserved to die looking at the person who cared about him most.

“I know now, everything you’ve done. For Camelot. For me. I want to say something I’ve never said to you before.” Merlin silently holds his friend, frozen, feeling his throat tighten painfully.

“Thank you.” After whispering those two words, Arthur’s eyes slip closed and his hand drops from Merlin’s head. Merlin grabs hold of Arthur’s face and forces his head to turn towards his.

“Arthur look at me. Arthur you aren’t allowed to die, you can’t leave me on my own! Please Arthur, LOOK AT ME!” Merlin is sobbing uncontrollably.

_No no no no no no_. Not like this, it’s not Arthur’s time. Merlin can’t even think. Help me please, anybody help.

“O drakon! E male so ftengometta tesd’hup’anankes!" Merlin stays on the ground, his arms firmly around Arthur, looking up at the skies.

After an eternity, Kilgharrah arrives.

“Kilgharrah. I would not have summoned you, if there was any other choice. I have one last favor to ask.”

With as much gentleness as he could, Kilgharrah scooped Arthur into his claws as Merlin climbed onto his back.

“Fly us to the middle of the lake, careful, don’t drop him.” As Kilgharrah raised them all into the sky, Merlin kept his gaze fixed on the island, he wasn’t giving up on Arthur yet.

“Merlin, it is too late for Arthur, this plan is doomed.” Kilgharrah said as gently as he could.

“Arthur isn’t going to die.” Merlin said fiercely through gritted teeth.

“Merlin…”

“HE CAN’T DIE! I WON’T LET HIM! He’s too important to die, everyone needs him back home!”

“I know that…”

“I will not fail him, Kilgharrah. I will never give up on Arthur. I owe it to him to fight for him as he has always fought for everyone else. Now hurry up! Take us to the Sidhe.”

Without further argument, Kilgharrah flew over the water and to the middle of the island.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now Merlin stood looking into the darkness, using his magic to reach out and call the Sidhe, and his last hope for Arthur, “Please, will you help us? I’ll do anything, anything you want. Just save him.”

An ancient, gravelly voice seemed to speak out of the air, since no form of it’s body was seen, “You have done so much for magic, Emrys, we will help you save your King.”

Merlin looked down at Arthur and his heart stopped beating. Arthur’s chest no longer moved up and down, and was still. Merlin’s head shot up, panic evident on his face until he noticed the birds frozen in the air and the waves in the lake stationary. The Sidhe had frozen time, so that Arthur remained delicately balanced between life and death.

Merlin looked back towards the voice with gratitude and told it about why Arthur was dying.

“A piece of Mordred’s blade broke inside his chest, and is piercing his heart. I tried to remove it, but it is an immortal blade that my magic could not touch.” Now Merlin looked down in shame. “I am not strong enough to save him.”

“That is not true Emrys, you remain the only one who can save Arthur.”

“But I don’t know how! Don’t you understand? I’ve tried everything, EVERYTHING I know and it still isn’t enough! Thats why I brought him here to you! I need you to save him.”

“The Sidhe cannot save Arthur Pendragon.”

“What?” Merlin felt the wind go out of him, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe right. This was his last chance, this was the only thing left for him to do. “What do you mean you can’t save him? You said so! You said you would help me! LOOK AT HIM! He is the bravest, most compassionate King that this land has ever known, you would just stand by and let him die? WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?” Merlin didn’t even realize how loudly he was screaming, but he did feel how painful it was to swallow as he waited for the Sidhe’s answer.

“Calm yourself Emrys, I did not lie to you. We will help you, but we cannot save Arthur Pendragon.” It irritated Merlin how calm the voice was, and how it was talking to him in riddles.

“Well, what do you mean then.” Merlin snapped at them.

“We know the magic that will save Arthur’s life, but only you, Emrys, have the strength and the heart to wield it.”

Merlin felt hope grab a hold of his heart, making it beat even harder against his ribs. He crouched down next to Arthur, and looked into his face. _I’m going to save you Arthur_. Without looking away, Merlin addressed the Sidhe, “How do I do it?”

“First, Emrys, you must be aware of the sacrifice you will make. As you know, magic always comes at a price.”

“Name it.” A fierce set about his jaw, Merlin kept his gaze locked on Arthur.

“You will suffer great pain, Emrys."

Now Merlin looked up incredulously at the Sidhe, “That is the price? I don’t care about pain, I have dealt with it before. Lets get on with it.”

“You misunderstand Emrys, you have never felt pain before this, it will surpass anything of your imagination. It is the greatest price to pay, you may barely have the strength to live through it.”

Merlin was still incredulous. As if any amount of pain would make him hesitate to save Arthur, why were they even talking about this?  
“I don’t care, tell me how to save him.”

“Very well, Emrys,” The Sidhe emerged from the trees they were hiding in, and one of them carried a very strange object. It was very intricate looking, like an expertly carved stone. On one end it had a smooth surface, on the other a jagged point, and in between them were millions of pieces of stone weaving the two together. A faint glow surrounded the object, and it was quite obvious to Merlin how powerful it was.

“This is what you need Emrys, it has no name, and only the Sidhe know of its existence. It has the power to complete any magical task needed, no matter how impossible the circumstances, and can surpass the boundaries it’s magic wielder cannot. However, not just anyone may use it, it must be someone pure of heart, with the strength to pay the terrible price it asks. Once you place the rounded edge on Arthur’s wound, you must pierce your hand on the spike. Only then, will it remove the sword from Arthur and heal him. It will draw the energy from you.”

“I’m guessing thats the painful bit.” Merlin said sarcastically, trying to ignore the tremor in his hands and the beating of his heart. At the nod from the Sidhe, Merlin looked back down at Arthur. His face looked peaceful, but that wasn’t right. Arthur was supposed to be vibrant and alive and smirking at him. Merlin remembered every second he spent with Arthur. All of the snarky comments and bits of things thrown at him. He remembered the times that Arthur had saved his life, and the times that Merlin had saved his. He remembered Arthur’s looks of anger and fondness, and how he had grown from an arrogant child to a wise king. There was no price too great that Merlin wouldn’t pay it. _I have always had enough strength for you, Arthur._ Then Merlin looked up at the Sidhe, knowing that pain would come soon, but also knowing that it would save Arthur.

“I am ready.”

Without speaking further, the Sidhe glided forward and placed the round part of the object on Arthur’s wound. Without having to be asked, Merlin pressed his palm onto the point until it pierced his skin, ignoring the tiny jolt of pain. As soon as the point breached Merlin’s skin, the glow intensified and wrapped around Arthur’s chest and Merlin’s hand, binding them together. Now Merlin could not have moved his hand even if he wanted to. Merlin’s entire frame shook violently as he waited for the pain and was surprised when it didn’t come. He looked up at the Sidhe in confusion, noticing their pitying faces, and was about to ask why nothing happened when it hit him.

Then nothing mattered but the pain, and nothing existed but the pain. Merlin would have cried out for help, and for them to please please make it stop, to kill him and have it be done with, if only he could remember that he had a mouth or how to speak. Instead Merlin screamed in a way the Sidhe had never heard before, his voice echoing off all the trees and reflecting the agony going on inside his body. It didn’t last too long though because eventually Merlin’s vocal chords gave out, but his mouth continued moving trying to make sounds in vain. So Merlin writhed and shook in silence, as his hand remained stubbornly held by the magic that was healing Arthur. Perhaps it was good that Merlin could not remember words because there were no words to describe this anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ummm, basically... okay, i really don't know how to sum this up without just giving everything away. Sorry I'm so terrible at summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, updates, i can do this, okay.

Arthur felt so tired. Wasn’t death supposed to be peaceful? Didn’t he deserve some rest? Why the hell was he so exhausted then? He couldn’t even open his eyes because his eyelids were impossibly heavy. His ears felt like they were stuffed full of cotton, and everything sounded muffled and far away. He thought he could hear someone screaming, but he wasn’t too alarmed because they stopped after a bit. Moving was a problem, mostly because he couldn’t feel his body. Did he even have a body anymore? To stop himself from panicking about that, Arthur tried to think of somethingelse. Perhaps this is just as Gaius had always said, that death was just like falling asleep and waking to a new life. Maybe, he just had to be patient and wait to wake up properly, there was no sense worrying over nothing. So, Arthur let the whole ‘not having a body’ thing slip from his mind. His last thoughts though, were of Merlin, and whether or not he would be in this next life with him, serving and protecting him as he had always done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merlins body was shaking horribly. He felt wetness on his cheeks and reached up to wipe it away, but only in succeeded in leaving behind a bloody handprint. He was gasping as if he hadn’t breathed in hours, and _Gods, he hurt._ Using his hands to push himself off of the ground where he had been lying, he moaned in pain. It felt like his bones were snapping when he put pressure on them. Closing his eyes, Merlin tried to get a handle on the pain, he needed to know where he was. Feeling the pain settle to a bearable level, Merlin opened his eyes and looked around. Immediately, he saw the blonde head of hair laying a few feet from him.

 

“Arthur?” Was that his voice? It was so small, and so hoarse, but that didn’t matter now. Merlin quickly crawled over, wincing as he did. Brushing the hair away from his eyes, Merlin peered down at his friend’s pale form. He was too still, that much was obvious. Panicking, Merlin started shaking Arthur softly, and then all of it came flooding back. _Mordred. Arthur. Kilgharrah. Avalon. ArthurArthurArthur_. All he could think was _it didn’t work. It_ _didn’t work. I failed._

 

“He will live.” The deep gravelly voice spoke from just behind him and Merlin whirled to face him, wincing as he did.

“He will live?” And that definitely wasn’t his voice, his voice never shook or wobbled.

“Yes, King Arthur is merely resting right now. Look, see how his chest moves?”

And Merlin did, he saw the miracle of Arthur’s chest rising almost imperceptibly. _He’s alive. Arthur’s alive. I’ll see him smile again_. And wasn’t that funny that the first thing Merlin wanted to see when Arthur woke up was his smile. But there would be time to think of what that meant later.

 

 

“How long will he sleep?” Merlin was smiling stupidly, and honestly he didn’t give a damn if the Sidhe disapproved of him showing emotion. He found he couldn’t really care about anything except _Arthur’s breathing_.

 

“You ask as if I am omniscient Emrys, the King will wake when he is ready.” _Alright, sassy, fine then, I’ll wait_.

 

“Okay.” And there was that stupid grin again. “I guess I’ll just go then, you can have your -uh- thingy back.” Merlin’s grin grew a bit when he made a name for their ‘all-powerful, sacred object’, but then he grew serious, “Thank you. I am in your debt.”

 

“And we shall collect Emrys, and you best be ready when we do.” _Oh_ , now Merlin gets it, _first they were all ‘you have done much for magic Emrys, we_ _will help you,’ but now, that he wasn’t so desperate they weren’t so friendly_. It didn’t really matter anyway, Merlin could be mad about it later. Honestly, right now Merlin just couldn’t summon the will within himself to give two shits about them.

 

“Will do, ta ta now.” Grasping Arthur underneath his arms, Merlin pulled his limp form up to wrap an arm around his waist and support his weight. _Gods, you’re heavy, you prat._ And truthfully, putting that amount of strain on Merlin’s muscles hurt a hell of a lot. Enough that his smile faltered and fell off his face, and his breathing became labored and shallow. Still, the pain couldn’t stop Merlin from feeling the overwhelming relief and happiness, so he didn’t really give two shits about the pain either. Though, it was a bit more distracting than a foreboding threat from a very powerful enemy.

 

 _Why is this island so bloody long? “Kilgharrah!”_ Merlin called for him in his dragon-tongue. _Maybe that overgrown lizard could make himself useful._

 

Kilgharrah landed with a very loud thud, and Merlin was silently pleased (and a little bit smug) when the normally so stoic dragon showed an expression of surprise when he heard two heartbeats instead of just one.

 

“You saved him then, young warlock.” Merlin didn’t say anything, just smiled slightly through the pain. Merlin had always been a bit humble when it came to saving Arthur.

 

“I assume you want a ride back.” And the dragon had the nerve to sound a bit put upon.

 

“Yes, in fact that would be bloody stupendous if you don’t mind.” The sarcastic tone was a bit marred by the breathlessness of his voice. After placing Arthur on Kilgharrah’s back and securing him there with his magic, Merlin’s legs wobbled a bit like they didn’t have a reason to stay standing up moment longer, like they could care less about holding Merlin up, only Arthur. _Only ever Arthur_.

 

“Steady, young warlock, you can’t very much help your prince by collapsing.” _No, he couldn’t, that was true_. Taking a deep breath through lungs that burned him like fire, Merlin climbed upon Kilgharrah’s back, settling down behind Arthur and holding him against his chest protectively. Bracing himself for Kilgharrah’s lunge from the ground, Merlin hissed through his teeth and clung a bit too tightly to the man in front of him.

 

His vision tunneled for a moment, but he had Arthur to ground him. As he watched the land fade away from him, he marveled at the feeling of Arthur’s beating heart under his palm.

 

Now all Merlin had to do was wait for his King to wake up and everything would be alright. _Everything would be alright._

**Author's Note:**

> So I hated how Merlin ended. I thought there was no reason to kill Arthur, and it just made me irrationally angry. So i'm writing a new ending to it, and I'm going to pretend that this was what actually happened so that i can have some peace about all of it. Please let me know what you think.


End file.
